text:
M30 Patch Notes
Leaks are a challenge for every game. Here's how it generally works: You identify people who are excited about your game, and map that interest to their machine's ability to play that game. Then you invite them into your house to provide critical feedback on your development team's hard work.
This relationship is governed by a few things, not the least of which is an NDA, or Non-Disclosure Agreement. In our case, It's a legal agreement that is digitally signed by the chosen beta tester. It basically states that by signing the agreement, the tester promises not to share anything they learn about the WildStar beta with the public.
Sure, the NDA is an important document. It is a legal arrangement between us, and our testers. But there's a more important contract we need to discuss: the social contract we have with our testing community. This is an agreement founded on trust and a genuine excitement to invite people that aren't beholden to a Carbine paycheck to join us in our efforts in making the best MMO possible.
Carbine as a studio isn't afraid to talk about what isn't working. We aren't afraid of critical feedback. Sure, we love positive feedback, but we crave intellectual discussions around the fundamentals of MMO development, and today's MMO player has evolved into one of the most savvy, experienced and knowledgeable consumers known to gaming.
We love games too, and we live to have these discussions with our testers on a daily basis. Candor and openness is natural to our process, and we've followed through on our commitment to transparency in many ways, and in several places, across the internet. We will continue to do so moving forward.
Now, to my point: The beta patch notes for WildStar were leaked by a current beta tester. Our core fansite supporters have, out of respect for Carbine, opted not to share that leaked information, knowing it was a violation of our mutual trust.
So with a mind towards fairness to those people who have maintained that trust, we're taking the leak public in an official capacity. No, we won't be doing this every time. Yes, we want to remove the person/s who leaked this information from beta. Yes, we want to avoid future leaks.
Yes, we want to openly discuss areas of our game that require critical feedback. We'd just like to do it on our terms.
In the end, this is about trust and respect. We trust and respect our community, and refuse to let this particular bad apple spoil this entire bunch.
So, here you go. The M30 Patch Notes.
Enjoy, won't you?
For this first phase of beta, the level cap is 22.
Player inventory has been divided into three parts: Inventory, Supply Stash, and Quest Inventory.
Supply Stash will keep track of all your various tradeskill and hobby ingredients so they no longer take up valuable bag space.
Quest Inventory will only appear when you have received or collected required items for quests. Many quests which used to grant quest items have now relocated those items to the new Quest Inventory.
Players are now limited to 40 active quests.
Group Finder has been added! You can use the Group Finder to flag yourself for PvP, as well as to queue for Dungeons, PvP, and Adventures. In this phase of Beta, you can queue for the following content (at the appropriate levels):
Dungeon: Stormtalon (Level 17-22)
PvP: 3v3 Arenas (Level 22)
Experience gains have been reduced across the board. Let us know how this new pacing feels!
The bonus deflect and crit deflect chance earned by a higher level/rank target when fought by a lower level attacker has been increased. This applies to PvE combat only, meaning that higher level players will avoid lower level/rank creatures' attacks more often, but will find that higher level/rank creatures avoid their attacks more often as well.
Rest XP is now earned by all characters. Thayd earns Rest XP at about twice the rate of the Open World, Housing Plots earn at a rate about 3 times the Open World, and Housing Interiors earn at a rate about 4 times the Open World.
A ton of quests have had their objective arrows fixed to point towards the proper location.
Most quests have had text and voiceover passes.
Searching has been implemented in the Schematic list as well as "Show All" and "Show Unlocked" filters.
Schematic display redesigned for clarity and proper messaging of needed materials. Also, schematics include chips as materials (including whether or not you have any).
Sub-recipes added to the schematic tab with "Expand All" functionality.
Progress links now open the correct tree and only the player's unlocked ranks are shown on the Overview tab.
Tech Tree final art has been added.
Added a new sprite for Tradeskill nodes on the map.
Modify/Extract toggle has been added to the Inventory, allowing players to directly open and alter items using either UI (both are now housed on the same panel).
Crafting has a new "Start" screen that provides the player with needed info before engaging the UI.
New crafting feedback screen shows the results of a craft and allows the player to re-craft the same item if they have the materials needed.
Hot/Cold feedback fixed and is more apparent on the Crafting results screen.
Incomplete crafts open by default when the Crafting UI is triggered.
Overall layout redistributed to give materials and additives more room
(Co-Ord) Additive window redesign for direction-based gameplay with "compass filter" and tier filters
Added feedback for which known variant is which dot on the crafting display.
Character and circle titles now properly appear and update on nameplates when changed by a player.
Public Events now have summary screens available once completed, showing stats for everyone who participated, as well as rewards earned.
Item Previewing is now available! Control+Right Clicking on an item will show what the item will look like once it is equipped.
The Need vs. Greed UI has been updated, including tooltips when hovered over.
All chat buttons now have appropriate tooltips.
The Quest Log has been polished and is now 46% prettier. New features include:
Categorization for quests.
Tabbed layout to separate active, completed, and ignored quests.
Entries now provide more information.
Incoming comm calls appear in the Active list with much more detail about the episode and category.
Zone maps have been updated and polished, including:
Color-coded objectives
Subzone maps (for various areas or missions within the zone which may bring you into instances or underground areas).
Continent button filters have been removed. Players can now select a continent from the world view screen and then choose a zone from the map or dropdown.
Mouse wheel usage on the Map has been changed. Zooming out will always work, but zooming in will always go back to your current zone
Added a new "zoom to me" button to the Map UI.
Viewing a zone with subzones will now show a dropdown of all subzones.
Polished zone maps for the following regions:
Northern Wilds
Steady Traveler
Infestation X82
Added the System Menu (normally accessed by hitting ESC) to the Interface Menu.
All abilities (including Innate) should correctly draw cooldowns, out of range, etc.
The costume toggle on the Character window has been temporarily disabled.
Updated the Death UI to ensure the "Rez at Caster" button only appears when someone has cast the corresponding spell.
Trade UI has been polished and improved.
Recall UI has been added, allowing players to recall to both a bound point as well as their house.
Power Rating has been split into Assault Power and Support Power, and abilities now either use Assault Power or Support Power to determine their damage/heals.
The Character Panel displays a player's Assault/Support Power by combining their Weapon's Assault/Support Power with their classes' specific Assault/Support Attribute (as listed below).
Example: A Warrior has 200 Strength and equips a weapon with 100 Assault Power. Strength contributes directly to the Warrior's Assault Power, so this Warrior would have 300 Assault Power.
Warrior Stats: Strength for Assault, Technology for Support
Stalker Stats: Dexterity for Assault, Technology for Support
Esper Stats: Magic for Assault, Wisdom for Support
Spellslinger Stats: Dexterity for Assault, Wisdom for Support
Blind visual effects have been added.
Tether Breakout Gameplay has been added.
While tethered, you will not be able to move far from the tether unit.
Breakout Gameplay: The player can attack and destroy the spawned creature to instantly remove the tether effect.
Dash is no longer prevented when silenced.
You will now get "Dazed" if you take damage while sprinting.
Daze lasts for 2 seconds and reduces your movement speed by 50%.
Dashing will now properly interrupt any spell casting.
Added new right click "auto attacks".
These abilities deal a small amount of damage to a single target.
The Limited Action Set now allows for a maximum of 7 class abilities (down from 9).
Removed the upfront cost of 100 endurance from Sprint.
Out of combat health regeneration has been adjusted.
Level 1 – 10 Seconds to Full (previously 7)
Level 10 – 25 Seconds to Full (previously 20)
Level 20 – 40 Seconds to Full (previously 30)
Settler turrets now scale off of Assault Power.
Esper + Spellslinger
Recovery Specialist: Now can only proc once every 3 seconds.
Recovery Specialist: Now heals for proper amount.
Elemental Retribution: Reduced hit chance to 10% (down from 40%).
Sapping Strikes: Reduced hit chance to 20% (down from 50%).
Maximum Suit Power has been reduced to 100 from 300.
Suit Modes can now be toggled on and off.
You may now only have 1 Suit Mode active at a time.
Suit Powers no longer drain Suit Power while active (but do have an activation cost).
All Melee Stalker attacks have had their range increased to 6 meters (up from 5).
DPS abilities have had a threat balance and should no longer be generating an absurd amount of threat.
Suit Power Regeneration has been decreased to 4/second (down from 5/second).
Sprint and Dash no longer break Stealth.
Stalker Milestones no longer break Stealth when activated.
Updated all tooltips to ensure they are standardized with other classes.
Nano Field
Damage contribution has been increased to 20% Support Power per tick (up from 15%).
Now has a 20 Suit Power cost on initial cast and an additional 20 Suit Power on the 2nd press.
Damage contribution on the second press has been reduced to 120% Support Power (down from 225%).
The transference rate has been reduced to 50% (down from 100%).
Fixed a bug that was causing the ability to reduce threat rather than generate threat.
Now has a DoT that deals 42% Assault Power every 1 second. This ignores shields.
This is now a telegraph ability.
The initial damage has been reduced to 70% Assault Power (down from 110%).
Removed the 15 second cooldown.
Analyze Weakness
Renamed from Expose Weakness.
Range has been reduced to 25 meters (down from 30 meters), and now appears in the tooltip.
The initial damage has been removed.
Now deals 200% Assault Power (down from 250%).
Fixed a bug that was causing other Stalkers to consume the Mark.
Removed the Ability Charges associated with the spell.
Now has an 8 second cooldown.
The Stealth Perk now increases Suit Power regeneration when consumed rather than a flat health restore.
Suit Mode: Exoskeleton
The Passive portion of this ability now increases your Armor by 100% Support Power rather than a flat percentage.
The Activate is no longer a group buff. Now increases your Armor by 500% Support Power.
Now has an innate 150% Threat Generation while active.
The first two strikes now hit twice with each hit.
The third hit on Whiplash has been removed.
Now uses the proper Stalker GCD of 1 second.
Razor Disk
No longer returns the disk after it reaches max distance.
Increased the damage to 150% Support Power (up from 75%).
Increased the damage on the bleed to 35% Support Power (up from 20%).
The range has been increased to 30 meters (up from 20).
The Stealth bonus no longer sends out multiple disks.
Now uses the proper Stalker GCD of 1 second.
Tether Mine
No longer breaks Stealth on use
Enemies caught in the initial blast are damaged for 32% Assault Power every second for 8 seconds.
Reduced the pull min range to 5 meters and the max range to 10 meters.
Fixed a bug that was preventing the Pull from working at max range.
Now costs 30 Suit Power.
The animation now plays regardless of the initial facing of the caster.
Targets must now be in front of the caster in order to use this ability.
Increased the damage to 100% Assault Power (up from 65%).
No longer has ability charges associated with it.
Increased the cooldown to 8 seconds.
Snare is now applied at the same time as the Root for the Stealth perk.
Reduced the total number of targets hit to 3 (down from 5).
Suit Mode: Bloodthirst
Fixed a bug that was causing a passive threat generation.
The passive transference has been reduced to 10% (down from 25%).
The activate transference has been reduced to 50% (down from 100%).
Added a buff to the activate that increases Assault and Support power by 10%
Fixed a bug that was causing it to break Stealth
Removed the Suit Power cost on the passive.
Fixed a bug that was preventing Stealth from being toggled off.
The in-combat activate is now removed when an ability triggers a stealth perk.
Increased the activate cooldown to 25 seconds (up from 20 seconds).
Stealth speed has been increased by 25%.
Quick Strike
Regenerates Suit Power on the very first hit (instead of the third).
Now generates 10 Suit Power (up from 5).
Now hits 3 targets (down from 5).
No longer breaks Stealth if it doesn't hit a target.
The damage can now miss if your target is out of range of the 2nd and 3rd hits of the swing.
Tactical Strike
The telegraph decal has been changed to a 90 degree cone instead of a line.
Reduced Suit Power cost to 20 (down from 25).
Reduced ability charges to 2 (down from 3).
Fixed a bug that prevented damage from being applied if you were in front of a target.
Removed the animation hold.
Increased recharge time to 12 seconds (up from 6 seconds).
Increased the damage of the non-bonus damage to 110% Assault Power (up from 84%).
Staggering Strike
The telegraph decal has been changed to a 90 degree cone instead of a line.
No longer generates Suit Power.
Now consumes 20 Suit Power.
Now stuns 3 targets (up from 1).
The Stealth bonus has been changed to grant increased stun duration.
This is no longer a Suit Mode and instead is now a separate ability.
The damage done by clone has been increased by 30% across the board.
Removed the Blink component of the spell.
Added a Pounce ability that the clone uses when a target is out of range.
Removed the Suit cost per second.
Removed the partial stealth on cast.
Fixed a bug that was causing the clone to mimic nearby allies.
The telegraph now properly shows the area where damage is dealt.
Now has a Stealth perk that Disarms enemies hit.
Cooldown has been reduced to 4 seconds (down from 15 seconds).
Absorb Shield effects do not stack (only 1 effect can be active at a time).
The Spellslinger's primary support stat is now Will (and no longer Magic).
Spell Surge is no longer an activated effect, and is consumed anytime you use a spell with a Surge Bonus and have a Spell Surge available.
Abilities bought from the Ability Vendor now require coin and not just an Ability Point
All Spellslinger abilities have been correctly flagged to require a weapon equipped when the ability calls for it.
The Spellslinger now has Mana and most Spellslinger abilities now require Mana to cast.
Recoil, Concussive Shot, Gun Kata, and Sigil: Crash have all been removed.
Arcane Infusion
New Ability
Instantly heals an allied target for 700% Support Power and an additional 50% Support Power each second for 12 seconds. Also gives the target 3 Interrupt Armor.
New Ability
Has 3 charges that regenerate once every 7.5 seconds.
Deals 90% Assault Power damage to a single target in a line in front of the caster. Targets below 30% Health take 180% Assault Power damage.
When Spell Surged, deals 126% Assault Power damage normally and 262% Assault Power damage to targets below 30% health.
Charged Shot
Now has 4 tiers which deal 50% | 113% | 170% | 250% Assault Power damage
Each tier now has its own cooldown: 2 |3 |5 | 7
Cone of Frost
Name has been changed from Frozen Bolt.
The ability now fires in a cone and not a line in front of the caster.
Cooldown increased to 15 seconds (up from 10 seconds).
The spell now always applies a 3 second root.
When Spell Surged the spell also applies a 6 second snare.
Now hits up to 3 targets up from a single target.
New Ability
Applies an Absorption Shield with 300% Support Power Health to up to 3 targets in a line in front of the caster.
When Spell Surged it applies an Absorption Shield with 410% Support Power.
Focus Target
New Ability
Enhances all healing the target receives from you by 20% for 30 seconds.
Cooldown increased to 30 seconds (up from 20).
Telegraph effect area width increased to 4 meters (up from 3).
Renamed from Flash Fire.
Now hits up to 3 targets (up from 1).
Power Torrent
This ability is now the class innate ability.
Runic Healing
New Ability
Heals your target 31% Support Power health every 0.25 second for 2 seconds. Can be used while moving, but healing is reduced to 16% Support Power.
Spatial Shift
The target of Spatial Shift is now immobile and immune to damage while the spell is being cast on them.
The spell will now always hit.
True Shot
New Ability
Deals 185% Assault Power damage on up to 3 targets in a line in front of the caster. Can fire up to 3 shots before going on cooldown and each shot fires faster than the last (2 secs/1 sec/ 0.5 sec).
When Surged, all cast times are reduced by 50%.
Vitality Burst
New Ability
Heals the 5 lowest health targets in a large cone in front of the caster for 200% Support Power per charge tier.
Threat generation has been adjusted on all tanking abilities to be more in line with the Stalker Tank's threat generation.
Default melee range increased to 6 meters (up from 5).
All abilities have been altered so that they no longer reference Weapon DPS, Strength and Technology contribution and now simply reference Assault Power(DPS) and Support Power(Tank).
Menacing Strikes
GCD reduced to 0.75 seconds (down from 1.1).
Damage Contribution reduced to 50% Support Power (down from 65%).
Reduced max range to 10 meters (down from 12).
Icon and visuals have been updated.
Atomic Spear
To compensate for the changes to Menacing Strikes, damage contribution has been reduced to 140% Support Power (down from 175%).
Is no longer a single target attack and hits up to 3 enemies in a cone ahead of the Warrior.
Cooldown increased to 45 seconds (up from 20).
Flash Bang
Cooldown increased to 45 seconds (up from 30).
Removed the ability charges from this ability and changed the tooltip to follow suit.
Utilizes the new Blind CC effect.
Now generates a full cell on use.
Emergency Reserves
Now increases maximum Shield Capacity by 500% Support Power rather than a flat 100% increase.
The duration of the buff has been reduced to 10 seconds (down from 25).
Bum Rush
Visuals Updated
Visuals Updated
Plasma Shield
Reverberate damage contribution increased to 20% Support Power (up from 3%).
Plasma Saw
The bleed effect's damage contribution has been increased to 20% Assault Power per tick (up from 2%). However, the bleed no longer stacks.
The instant damage contribution from Plasma Saw has been reduced to 145% Assault Power (down from 205%).
The minimum range has been removed from Leap.
Leap now applies the Hold CC to enemies while the Warrior is traveling to the target.
Savage Strikes
Fixed an issue that was causing this ability to deal more damage than expected.
Reduced max targets to 5 (down from 10).
Is no longer a single target attack and hits up to 3 enemies in a line ahead of the Warrior.
Focus consumers no longer refund mana.
Removed threat from all abilities that should not cause threat.
Blade Dance
Blade Dance no longer has a cooldown.
No longer grants a Focus Point.
Concentrated Blade
Damage is now 115% Assault Power (up from 100%)
Cooldown increased to 35 seconds (up from 30).
Fade Out
Caster now also loses all threat when casting this spell.
Removed "decoy" aspect.
Switched from Press and Hold to Channeled with an 8 second cast time.
Reduced total mana restored to 500, down from 1000.
Increased cooldown to 90 seconds (up from 60).
Mental Boon
Reworded tooltip to state that it affects 4 group members.
Added new visuals.
Now only heals group members (and caster).
Tooltips now properly display.
Mind Over Body
Reduced size of area around Lantern to 6m (down from 10m).
Phantasmal Armor
Reduced Interrupt Armor granted to 2 (down from 5).
Phantom Swarm
Cooldown has been increased to 10 seconds, up from 8.
Duration of pets has been reduced to 10 seconds, down from 12.
Is now a Channeled spell rather than a Press and Hold.
Threat has been reduced.
Cooldown increased to 30 seconds (up from 20).
Threat has been reduced.
Spectral Frenzy
Damage is now 37% Assault Power, down from 38%
Cast time now 1 second (down from 1.25).
Increased time for Rapid Tap to 5 seconds (up from 3).
The second and third Rapid Tap now ignore the GCD.
Mana cost has been removed.
Telekinetic Strike
Damage is now 90% Assault Power, down from 115%
Mana cost has been removed.
Telekinetic Storm
Cooldown has been removed.
Northern Wilds
Trees will now animate as the Ultrabot moves out of the trees.
Bartol Sunward and the Rescued Exile Survivors should now properly appear in Settler's Reach when Indigenous Intelligence is achieved or completed.
Added directions for the Ancient Tower so objective arrows function more accurately for Empowered Tower and The Tower.
All party members now see comm calls after activating the cannon.
Mennon Stone now speaks and sounds like an Exile male. As an added bonus he now talks about Settler stuff.
Deadeye Brightland is now always willing to speak with you.
Added Sadie Brightland and Grim to Land's Reach. Sadie is no longer visible after Contact with Thayd, while Grim and Deadeye are visible at Camp Icefury.
Fixed an issue where Deadeye was remaining visible at Land's Reach even after Contact with Thayd was complete.
Replaced Transmat Terminals with Holocrypts.
Cryptic Message items are no longer given.
Message In A Bottle is no longer a quest, rather an achievement for finding all 3.
Fixed the Demonclaw Pass datacube so it can be collected.
Challenge: Dominion Destroyer – Now has proper loot rewards.
Irradiated snoglug now have telegraph attacks.
Dagun Meat now shows up with a display icon.
Loftite Crystals floating in Tremor Rridge no longer show nameplates
Judges Arrival – grenades thrown by Morek will no longer kill players.
The first episode of the final subzone of Algoroc (post-Gallow) has been completely reworked.
The starting areas of Galeras now have proper Settler content.
Tempest Refuge Invasion public event – removed vendors cowering behavior so they will always be accesible to shoppers. Updated objective text to kill Groundswell Fodder.
Holocrypt added in Thayd.
Holocrypt added to Tempest Refuge.
Fixed Hold the Lettuce challenge so all plants can be activated. Increased spawn rate slightly to make gold rank possible.
Defend the Gate – Fixed some issues with how the holdout was initiated.
Calling the Arkship – Condensed objectives to remove cases where the quest could get stuck if players log out or die during the quest. Added cinematic on achieving the quest.
Increased kill counts for Ravenok Reaper Chalenge slightly.
Added a gold tier to the Whimthorn Whacker challenge.
Deliver the Supplies – Refactored the quest to remove bottleneck. Players must now prevent the Pack Kurg from dying. All players near the kurg when it reaches its destination will receive credit.
Added a Silver tier to the Falkrin Flayer challenge.
Updated holocrypt location for Stormwing Fortress and the Crosswind fields.
Chief Engineer Brek now acts as a normal reputation vendor.
Skywatch vendors are now available at all times, even during the siege.
Chompacabra Menaces – Updated quest to focus on finding Eldan Artifacts by searching dirt mounds or killing Chompacabra.
Demise of the Stormwing – Bride Osprea no longer appears friendly. Removed her two spawned in protectors. Moved some of the nearby falkrin to give her more room to fight.
Frantic Field Medicine Challenge – The Field Medic's kit can now only be activated if player meets the minimum lvl of 16, and has not unlocked the challenge before.
Basic word filters are now in-game. Character names, chat, guild names, and circle names, are all checked against this list.
If you find any words or word combinations that don't work but should, let us know on the forum!
Party chat now informs players of any changes to group loot rules, instance difficulty, or game modes.
Now gives error message of "Player already grouped" if player is in your group, regardless of whether the player is logged in or not.
Tells now properly indicate if the line is to or from that person.
Fixed several instances of circles using "guild" in text responses
Scaling décor is now properly limited within reason.
Fixed a bug where players could sometimes arrive on the same housing plot.
Fixed a UI bug that would allow players to place décor past their limit, which would cause a crash.
Fixed a bug where the housing UI would disappear after camping and returning to the housing plot.
Fixed a bug that prevented players from purchasing décor after previewing the item multiple times.
Fixed a bug where players were sometimes unable to build anything after completing the housing quests.
Fixed a bug where moving or rotating décor with the transform gizmo wasn't enabling the "place" button in the UI.
Fixed a bug that caused players to be unable to place décor on the exterior of their house.
Fixed a bug that caused players to be unable to interact with, or enter their house.
Soldier Holdouts now scale difficulty based on the number of players participating in the Holdout.
Settler Scout, Sheriff, and Mayor missions are now available in Algoroc and Galeras.
Explorer – Scavenger hunts now display objective arrows for the closest clue area, rather than a single large radius for the entire mission.
Fixed a bug where Settler "bat-signals" were not always appearing.
The UI will now tell Settlers which improvements must be built to unlock secondary improvements.
Settler depots now appear on the minimap when they are nearby.
Settler Infrastructure scaffolding now has collision and a knockback when the building begins.
Fixed an issue where Settler Improvements were not always showing up when built.
Scientist – Creatures that despawn when scanned are no longer instantly scanned.
Fixed a bug where Settler infrastructure scaffolding was not appearing.
Fixed a bug where Explorer beacons were not dropping.
Collectables are now usable after a failed loot attempt.
Fixed some issues where players were not getting kill credit while grouped.
Fixed an issue where players would disconnect when attempting to trade money.
Players can no longer unequip a bag if they don't have the inventory space to do so.
Fixed an issue where quest items would sometimes not drop for grouped players.
Trading crafted/modified items now works properly
Work order quests are no longer be available for dropped tradeskills.
Attempting to vacuum loot with full bags now displays an error.
Loot you have rights to can now be looted after relogging.
Fixed issue where item cooldowns would sometimes appear on the wrong items.
Power amps now give flat item power bonuses instead of level offsets.
Power amps might now require an item with X amount of base item power
Salvaging crit chance is now based on the base quality of the item.
Bind on Equip items are now implemented.
Vendors will subtract the repair cost of damaged items when buying from players.
Systems that push items to players will now mail them if the player's inventory is full
Added the Supply Satchel for storing tradeskill materials.
Updated the default loot rules: round robin for white/grey, need/greed for green or higher.
Groups will now be notified of need/greed roll winner.
Loot rolls now time out appropriately (1 minute for green items, 3 minutes for blue).
Coordinate crafting will now take the base materials at craft start time. Be aware, canceling after pressing Start will not refund materials.
Crafting now requires proximity to a crafting station.
Fixed display issues with the Architect tech tree.
Fixed bug that was causing Architect XP to be granted whenever anyone unlocked their first achievement.
Repair costs have been drastically reduced.
Cost of the first mount increased to 30 gold.
Due to planetwide economic factors, crafters will need to purchase cost materials on a recipe by recipe basis from a crafting vendor
Completely coincidentally, Protostar has revealed their new product line: U-Craft series Vendbots!
Ranging from Lite to Ultra, these bots sell crafting goods, including cost materials, tools, architect and technologist additives, and occasionally, limited stock of materials which are normally found as world drops.
Both Dominion and Exile forces have updated their tradeskill hubs, which now include a host of personnel, embedded crafting stations, a vendbot, work order board, and fancy sign.
Existing Work Orders in Algoroc and Galeras have been updated.
Updated Tradeskill descriptions on the Tradeskill Trainer.
The level requirement on Basic Medishot has been reduced to 3, and the Basic Medishot SR to 5.
Crafting Tutorial Quests are now correctly given/received via the Communicator.
Cotton has been replaced with Canvas
All classes now have the same quest reward choices (with the exception of weapons).
Salvaging starts at level 6 instead of level 10 now.
XP, Reputation and Gold have been removed from Challenge Loot Wheel. In a future update, completing a Challenge will automatically grant all three of these, in addition to the Loot Wheel reward.
Housing items have been added as rewards to Challenges, Quests, Loot, Path Rewards, and Reputation Vendors.
Shields now have stats other than stamina on them.
Additives are now found only on vendors.
Added Audio for the following Class abilities:
Fade Out
Mental Boon
Spectral Frenzy
Arcane Infusion
Focus Target
Power Torrent
Precision Fire
Sigil: Purify
Analyze Weakness
Blood Thirst
Nano Field
Tether Mine
Bum Rush
Plasma Shield
Character Creation screen Music added


text:
When I first heard about the Vagus Nerve Infection theory with regard to CRPS / RSD, I added it to the pile of other theories I had come across, worthy of consideration and research for anyone suffering from this troubling disorder.
In the last six months, however, I am drawn more and more to this area of research, partly because given my own symptomology and recent diagnoses this is something I have, and partly because of a few pertinent conversations I have had of late. I am eager to promote awareness on it.
An infection of the Vagus Nerve – also known as "the wandering nerve" – seems to be the only thing I have found that can explain the erratic and unpredictable nature of CRPS other than the pliable nature of the nervous system itself. I strongly recommend that anyone with CRPS / RSD research it, as I already know of one case where CRPS / RSD was treated successfully with antibiotics.
This section will grow obviously. I intend to post anything I can find connecting Vagus Nerve infections (or infections in general) with neurological dysfunction, pain or autoimmune conditions. If anyone reading this knows of a good article I can post here please get in touch.
One Theory to Explain Them All? The Vagus Nerve Infection Hypothesis for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Excellent read, even for CRPS / RSD sufferers
Simmaron Research, by Cort Johnson
Could Alzheimer's Stem From Infections? It Makes Sense, Experts Say (New York Times)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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Ariana Grande unveils the sensual clip!
This Thursday, October 29, Ariana Grande has not consistently teaser her new music video, Focus, via Instagram. A large reinforcement of short videos, screenshots of screens and animated images, the young singer has done everything so that this output is a true event. Result: two hours after putting it on Youtube, the clip was viewed nearly 500 000 times!
Suffice to say that fans are there for you to discover the change in head of the brunette. In tune with the times, she has dyed his hair in silvery-white in order to evolve in an atmosphere both retro and sexy. Mini skirt in black or lame, vinyl thigh high boots and high heels, suggestive poses and lips ultra glossees: Ariane Grande has left nothing to chance.
And for cause, during more than three minutes she repeats one thing: the need to concentrate on it! Moreover it is likely much seeing his next month with the release of his new album and his campaigns for M.A.C Cosmetics. Big Sean's ex has indeed to be chosen as Ambassador of the Viva Glam of the cosmetics brand line. A lipstick and a gloss will thus go on sale next January. All proceeds go to AIDS research


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featured relationship
nagachika hideyoshi & kaneki ken
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|MATSUOKA RIN ϟ
Posted: Mar 3 2015, 08:35 PM
Rin can't help it - he panics at Haru's latest text. The phone's vibration is nothing compared to the electricity that runs through his chest. It's too soon, he expected to have more time to come to terms with his stupid emoji mistake and the red smears that were streaked across his cheeks and the top of his ears. Instead, he's scrambling, almost tripping on the sweats that hang around his ankles as he makes his way to the back door to let Haru inside. There's no reason for Rin to be so anxious (it's not like this is a date), but he can't shake the stupid, awkward teenage boy bull that's still hovering just below the surface.
You're a mess, Rin has to laugh at himself despite the embarrassment that he already feels. It only takes a minute for him to reach the door, which he unlocks and slides open for Haru to slip in. "Finally made it, huh?" he tries to say as smoothly as possible, body hanging in a slight lean against the door. "Well --" he lets the door close behind Haru and starts to stretch his arms behind his head as they walk down the hall towards the pool "-- gave me some time to warm up, at least."
Posted: Apr 4 2015, 08:38 PM
Little thought's devoted to the accidental text. Rather than focus on what happened five minutes prior, he's anticipating what's to come in the five minutes that follow; the shimmer of the water, the weightlessness he'll feel after diving in, the push against his hand when he carves his fingers through the surface...
A hand's raised to knock but Rin's already holding it open and he steps through. With one quick glance he catches reddened cheeks but stays quiet, save for a soft "yeah" about his arrival.
When they reach the pool, he's quick to remove the turquoise polo, khakis and loafers that serve as his work uniform. Blue eyes glance up to find Rin again, and he asks one last time, "you sure about this?" before stepping to the pool's edge.
Doesn't want to get him fired. (But he's also not expecting Rin to change his mind, which he's happy for.)
im so rusty im so sorry
150 words
|MATSUOKA RIN ϟ
Posted: Apr 9 2015, 06:37 PM
"Geez, Haru." Rin makes sure to use the most dramatic roll of his eyes as he pulls his sweats back down his hips. He's a little surprised that Haru even bothered to ask at all instead of stripping off his clothes and jumping right in. Not that Rin minded. It was... nice? Considerate. Something like that. "I said it was fine, didn't I?"
He pitches his sweats on a nearby chair once they're unwrapped from his ankles and takes a few steps closer to the edge of the pool. The water is shimmering in the dim light, reflecting a dance of glitter across the walls and all the skin the moonlight can reach, and Rin thinks (with an eye on the head of dark hair in front of him) that yeah, this was definitely fine.
"Get in already," Rin drawls, but the mischief shines brighter in his eyes as he presses both hands to Haru's shoulders and gives him a hard push. It takes a moment for the grin (and the laughter) to die off of Rin's lips, but as soon as it does, he slips into the water as well.
Posted: May 19 2015, 01:37 PM
No answer is given because it's not necessary, even after Rin's roll of the eyes which Haru manages to catch from the corner of his own. Quickly though his attention returns to the pool, and he's about to bend, to set one leg behind the other in order to spring, when fingers meet his shoulders and shove him forward.
He tips in easy and without any flail; might as well be falling into a waiting pair of arms set to catch him. The familiar quiet fills his ears once he's under the surface, muted softness filling his ears when the splash is over. Grace returns with a kick of his legs and twist of his torso and he takes his time, lets the water pull him back to the surface as it pleases. Once emerged, he gives a shake of his head and slides his gaze towards Rin, his expression flat.
(you done messing around?)
"Thought you wanted to race," he says while treading water but a few feet away. Fine with him that they're not, really, but he points it out anyway as though it'll offset the laughter that he knows was there (and as his expensive) only a moment ago.
Yet, it's not lost on Haru that in a place so very strange, something finally feels familiar.
|MATSUOKA RIN ϟ
Posted: Jun 9 2015, 10:01 PM
It was true - that was the excuse Rin had used to initiate the conversation (because a text could never just be a text) and lure Haru to the recreation center pool, but he didn't have a particularly burning desire to race. It was satisfying enough to just exist in the same space again. Instead of swimming through a life that he had no anchor for, at least now, Rin could float with the knowledge that the current wouldn't sweep him out to sea.
"I do," he replies once his head has broken the surface of the water and his hair is slicked back beneath his palms. Rin tips onto his back, hands locked behind his head so the next shrug is more pronounced. "Just wouldn't be fair if I didn't let you get loose."
He opens his mouth to continue, but decides rather quickly to let the words die before they reach his tongue. It wouldn't make a difference if Haru knew that Rin had missed him. That he'd missed this.
Naturally, he scoffs instead. "So hurry up. I don't have all night."
(He does)


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Introductory textbook on evolutionary biology.
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About Us
Neighborly bankers.
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We live and work in the Willamette Valley, so we're personally invested in its economic vitality. Learn more about what makes us different.
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Building our community with 15-years of partnership
Knox Construction, Inc., a second-generation family-owned business, joined Willamette Community Bank right at the beginning. In fact, one of its account numbers is in the teens. As general contractors, Knox…
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Willamette Community Bank Opens New Branch and Announces 2016 Results
Willamette Community Bank (OTCQB: WMCB) announces the opening of their third branch location in Salem, Oregon. President and CEO Dan McDowell states," Ever since we opened our loan production office…
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New, Larger Branch in Salem Announced
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OBA Presents 2016 Community Applause Award to Sybaris Bistro
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Accounting software is a foundational technology for many companies, and as a business grows having a powerful, effective accounting solution becomes increasingly critical.
Most accounting software packages offer the same basic features necessary for managing finances: accounts receivable, accounts payable, general ledger, billing and invoicing, purchase and sales orders, and reporting.
Beyond basic functionality, the top accounting solutions offer additional features to give users more power, flexibility and customization. Oftentimes accounting solutions are closely integrated with other key software solutions.
Most ERP solutions include an extensive accounting module, but buyers should also consider best-of-breed, standalone accounting software.
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The research study evaluates the existing markets past performance along with the future statistics during the forecast period on the basis of revenue as well as volume. The study includes quantitative and qualitative analysis of various marketing segments based on key criteria's.
This report also mentions the epitome segment and sub-segment clubbed with reasons which supports their growth. Similarly, it mentions the drop in segment and sub-segment with the factors hampering its growth.
The report also consists, market size, expected growth rate and share of each segment which has been evaluated and discussed at length in the scope of the research report. An in-depth analysis of market segments is provided so that readers or enterprises can make most appropriate investments and make perfect use of their money.
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This study provides an evaluation of aspects that are expected to impact growth of market in an undesired or constructive method. The Accounting Software market has been consistently examined with respect to the corresponding market segments.
Each year within the mentioned forecast period is concisely considered in terms of produce and worth in the regional as well as the global markets respectively.
To give a lucid view about Accounting Software market, a competitive landscape has been put into view accompanied with the value chain analysis. An evidence on new introduced and current research, development projects and funds for innovation has been delivered in the report
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SOURCE: Chiaro
December 14, 2016 05:07 ET
A new lineup of UV photo filters is empowering photographers with knowledge
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - December 14, 2016) - With its new lineup of UV lens filters, newcomer Chiaro is disrupting a long-complacent industry with a healthy dose of good-old honesty and empowerment. How? The answer lies in light transmission. While other brands compete with confusing buzzwords that obscure the actual performance of their filters, Chiaro focuses purely on the percentage of visible light that passes through the filter unharmed. So whether customers purchase a top-of-the-line 99% filter or a budget-friendly 95% filter, they know exactly what they're paying for. That's why Chiaro's tagline is Honest Glass.
"This shouldn't be a revolutionary concept, but it is," says Matt Hill, director of marketing at Chiaro. "The photo filter industry has been obscuring the truth with razzle-dazzle marketing for some time, offering too many buzzwords and too little data."
The- foundation for this revolution is standardized ISO-certified lab testing to ensure the most reliable data possible. Not only is Chiaro measuring the light transmission of its own filters, it's also performing these same standardized tests on the most popular competing filters on the market. The kicker? Chiaro is publishing all the results on its website (http://ChiaroFilters.com), including measurements for light transmission, scratch resistance, anti-reflection, oil repellency, etc. That way, photographers can objectively compare filters across brands on an even playing field and decide what's best for them.
The Chiaro Filters are now available at B&H Photo:
"And that's the point," explains Matt Hill. "We stand for honesty and transparency. We're not just promoting our own products; we believe we're doing what we believe is best for the photography community by empowering photographers to make educated purchasing decisions. The way Chiaro helps itself is simply by producing highly competitive filters that are sensibly priced. We're confident that many photographers will take a hard look at all the objective data we've provided and ultimately decide that Chiaro is the right choice for them."
The brand's visionary approach is the culmination of several years of hard work from a team of developers, experts, and designers at Gradus Group (http://GradusGroup.com), the parent company of Chiaro. "We want to show that honesty is good business," says Jacob Frankl, CEO of Gradus Group. "Our ten years of experience in serving photographers' needs enables us to enter the lens filter market in a way that is both honest and daring. We hope Chiaro will help contribute to the informed dialogue and self-empowerment happening in the photography community today."
About Chiaro
Based in NYC, Chiaro's mission is to create high-quality photo filters and communicate honestly about the optical qualities and features. This includes transparent access to all of their 3rd-party testing data, and a dedication to demystifying the process of choosing a photo filter. Chiaro is a Gradus Group brand (GradusGroup.com).
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Matt Hill212-594-2120Chiaro Filtershttp://www.chiarofilters.com/
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Our flagship filter. Competing with the highest-end filters on the market, this brass-fitted 99%-transmission UV filter is made for photographers who demand premium construction, a complete feature set, and uncompromised image fidelity.
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Light transmission indicates the percentage of light that passes through the filter. 99% is the highest transmission possible with glass.
Clear protection for your lens with haze elimination when you need it. (Note that UV haze only affects
Clear protection for your lens with haze elimination when you need it.
In an age when photographers expect to be able to empower themselves with knowledge, the filter industry needs a good shot of honesty.
Baffled by UV Filters? Want to know which features matter most and how to make an informed decision? Look no further - we clearly explain our features and benefits for all Chiaro UV Photo Filters.
This brass-fitted 99%-transmission UV filter is made for photographers who demand premium construction, a complete feature set, and uncompromised image fidelity.


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Saturday, June 29, 2013
The Limp
I've always walked with a limp. Now, it is a bit more pronounced. When I start walking, the limp is worse. Once my foot loosens a bit, the limp is not as noticeable; however, the limp is there.
What causes a limp? Either one's legs are out not the same length or there is some part of the anatomy that is not symmetrical; out of balance if you will. Simple diagnoses: difficult solution. A limp indicates there is something not right. A limp displays a flaw, a limp telegraphs to others, and you, that there is an imbalance.
There is a time when I do not limp. A moment in my life when my legs seem to be the same, when the now deformed right foot is the same as the left. When I run. In the split second both feet are off of the ground, they are equal. Running is where I am in balance. Running is where the imperfections go away.
You may not have a physical limp, but there may be a mental, emotional, or spiritual limp. It is that one part of your life where things do not equal one another; where you are out of balance. What is it? Did someone lie to you and call you stupid? Did someone tell you, you are worthless? Did someone tell you will never be good enough?
For me, physically, running equalizes me. For all of us and in all areas, Jesus, is the great equalizer. He is the one who touches and heals and as He lifts you up, if even for a split second when your feet are not touching the ground, you are without a limp. He is the One who calls you His friend, His brother, His sister, His Child!
I may walk out of balance, but I run with freedom.
Keep Running,
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NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Nara Capital, a New York-based investment manager founded by Charles Smart and Paride "Alex" de Calice, announced today that it has entered into a strategic relationship with Tages Capital.
Nara Capital is led by CEO and CIO, Charles Smart. The firm's six founding partners have an average eight-years working together managing hedge fund assets. Nara Capital was founded in 2016 and manages more than US$100 million. The Nara Capital Master Fund formally launched in April 2017 with support from a broad base of global investors.
Nara Capital seeks to derive returns through identifying relative value opportunities in mortgage and asset-backed securities, securities that have concentrated exposures to specific credit and pre-payment risks. Portfolio construction relies heavily on integrated risk management, and on the fundamental negative correlation between pre-payment and credit risk premia, to target high current income generation relative to anticipated return volatility, while allowing for specific positioning to capture identified asymmetric pay-out opportunities.
Prior to founding Nara Capital, Mr. Smart was a Principal and a Senior Portfolio Manager at Structured Portfolio Management ("SPM") of Stamford, CT, where he was portfolio manager of that firm's flagship fund and was responsible for co-managing the firm's nearly $4 billion fixed-income assets under management. Messrs. Smart and de Calice each spent eight years at Structured Portfolio Management. Mr. Smart has more than 25 years of industry experience and has traded MBS Derivatives at various investment banks including Deutsche Bank, FTN Financial, and Nomura Securities, where he was Head of MBS Trading.
Charles Smart, Co-Founder and CIO of Nara Capital, said:
"Nara is excited to partner with Tages, and to access their expertise and guidance in launching our fund. Nara's analytical, risk-focused strategy is positioned for significant opportunities in a shifting environment for specific structured products. With the support of Tages, Nara's team of experienced investment professionals can deliver to investors the rewards of our established, successful strategy with the benefits of an emerging manager's focus and vigor."
Mark de Klerk, Head of Seeding Strategies at Tages Capital, said:
"We are extremely pleased to have been able to partner with this professional team who have previously worked together and have such extensive expertise in the U.S. mortgage space. As one of Europe's most active seed investors, we are always on the lookout for strategies which fit well into our institutional client portfolios. In this case, we have seen particular interest from insurance clients who appreciate that this specialist role can harvest attractive risk adjusted returns through the cycle."
Nara Capital:
Paride "Alex" de Calice, President: +1 (212) 256-8473 ? email@example.com
Tages Capital:
Mark de Klerk, Head of Seeding Strategies: +44 (0)20 3036 6051 ? firstname.lastname@example.com
About Nara Capital
Nara Capital is a New York City-based alternative asset manager with more than US$100 million in assets under management. The Firm manages a fixed income relative value investment strategy, and has particular expertise and specialized infrastructure developed for the purposes of investing capital and managing risk in mortgage and asset-backed securities.
About TAGES Capital
Tages Capital is a leading alternative asset management business with approximately US$2.4 billion in assets under management. Representing the asset management arm of Tages Group, Tages Capital manages alternative multi-manager and single manager portfolios as well as innovative investment strategies, including UCITS and renewable energy funds. The firm is also a market-leader in providing seeding and acceleration capital to world-class emerging asset managers and is characterised by an advisory-led solutions approach.
Related Files
Nara Capital Press Release - October 2017.docx
Nara Capital Press Release - October 2017.pdf
SOURCE Nara Capital LP
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Memories of Halloweens Past
Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. First, there's the candy. M&Ms are my number one, although Snickers are a pretty close second. Then, there's pumpkin carving. If you've never stuck your hand into a pumpkin and yanked its guts out, you haven't lived.
I also consider myself a horror movie aficionado and there is no better time of year to watch them. I prefer the classics: Dracula, Halloween, Night Of The Living Dead and The Exorcist to name a few.
All of the above mentioned items are great, but the costumes are the absolute best part of Halloween. My Aunt made the most wonderful ones for me every year. In chronological order, I was a fairy princess, a witch, Raggedy Ann, a clown, a witch again (loved the green face paint), Sandy from Grease, a gypsy, a hobo, Wonder Woman, an Egyptian queen, a sock hop sweetie (poodle skirt, of course) and the grim reaper (by the time I was thirteen I wanted to scare the crap out of someone. No more cutesy costumes for me).
When I wore a costume, I could be a totally different person and I loved it. I could act completely opposite of my "normal".
Isn't that what we do as writers when we breathe life into a fictional character? We get to shape their actions and personality like a lump of clay. We can make them dark and disturbed or pure as snow. They can go places that we never will and do things that would be unthinkable for us to do ourselves. This is the fun part of being a writer. Sure, it's hard work sometimes, but for me this is the good stuff.
Do you have a favorite Halloween memory or a special way of celebrating?
8 comments:
- Amie Kaufman said...
All time favourite Halloween memory: the year my little sister insisted she was going to be a ghost and nothing else. My mum wouldn't let her cut a hole in any of the good sheets for eyeholes, so she just draped one over herself and followed me up and down the street, banging into fences and wandering off course. I still laugh as hard now as I did when I was eight. That's a big sister's duty.
- October 7, 2010 at 6:02 AM
- Rogue Mutt said...
I've never really liked Halloween. Never could decide on any costumes. Mostly I just wanted candy. If my parents had just given me a bag of Reese's peanut butter cups or Snickers we could have saved the whole bother of trick or treating.
- October 7, 2010 at 8:52 AM
- Lisa Potts said...
Amie, that's so funny! What a wonderful memory.
RM, I loved trick or treating, but a whole bad of Reese's would have been tempting.
- October 7, 2010 at 9:37 AM
- Carolyn V. said...
I just love everything about October, the candy, the way it smells, the leaves turning colors. I just can't pick one. =)
- October 7, 2010 at 10:46 AM
- Jayne said...
A sock hop sweetie! Aw - never heard of that term before, but I love it to pieces.
Halloween in England kept more to its pagan roots, at least when I was little - it was rare to get trick or treaters at the door. But by the time I was 12 I did my first trick or treat and dressed up as a witch - had great fun making a sequin cape (as of course witches adore sequins!).
Nowadays Halloween/Samhain is still my absolute fave holiday, but the trick or treaters where I live are scary in the 'we want to mug you' type way. They don't dress up and only want money. So now we don't open the door, but that is so sad. :(
- October 7, 2010 at 12:33 PM
- Melissa said...
I'm so ready for October! I adore this season. It's such a beautiful in between between the extremes of summer and winter.
- October 7, 2010 at 2:44 PM
- Lisa Potts said...
Carolyn, definitely love the leaves.
Jayne, too bad you can't open the door during trick or treat.
That sounds kind of scary.
Melissa, that's exactly the reason Spring and Fall are my favorites.
- October 7, 2010 at 10:26 PM
- Lydia Kang said...
Hmm, the candy-gorging on Halloween night may not be unique, but it's a tradition.
It's so true how we get to do all sorts of crazy things in our writing. What an escape!
I'm a new follower, nice to meet you and your blog!
- October 8, 2010 at 10:16 AM


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Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Dear Melissa
It is the hour of the wolf. A Nordic tale that speaks of a wolf that stalks outside people's doors between the hour it is darkest just before dawn. It is the time when the greatest of nightmares seem the most real and life clings to itself for fear of losing grip. You can't sleep, and all you can see is the troubles and the problems and the ways that your life should've gone but didn't. All you can hear is the sound of your own heart. I've often been awake through this time. I've practiced methods of trying to scare the wolf off or hide from the wolf. Were I to come from a family who drank, this would probably be the time to do so. So I take suggestions from other lore. One large glass of vodka before bed and three very small sips of vodka, just in case the wolf had babies. I'll curl up on my bed, no breeze coming through the window, city soundscapes and the absence of chirping. If I had a cigarette I would smoke it. Instead, with no blanket to cover me I will clutch my book and take deep breaths and let the vodka help me along.
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Strategic Collaboration with NOVASCIENTIA S.A.
SMART BLADE GmbH is happy to announce its collaboration with the software development company NOVASCIENTIA S.A. The collaboration will include the development of various software solutions for the wind energy and engineering...» Read more
SMART BLADE at the Hamburg Wind Energy Expo 2014
SMART BLADE will be present at the Hamburg Wind Energy Expo! We look forward to meeting you at our booth (Hall B2. Ground Level Booth No. 388).» Read more
Proving the value of Vortex Generators
Interested in learning more about the retrofit performance boosting Vortex Generators of 3M, UpWind Solutions and SMART BLADE? Check the article of Windpower Engineering & Development. » Read more
Interview of Prof. Dr.-Ing. C.O. Paschereit at Deutsche Welle
Prof. Dr.-Ing. C.O. Paschereit, the head of HFI TU Berlin gave a very interesting interview at Deutsche Welle about our collaborative R&D activities in the field of wind turbine aerodynamics. Both the SMARTviz principle...» Read more


text: Free Access Galactomannan detection for invasive aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients Mariska MG Leeflang, Yvette J Debets‐Ossenkopp, Junfeng Wang, Caroline E Visser, Rob JPM Scholten, Lotty Hooft, Henk A Bijlmer, Johannes B Reitsma, Mingming Zhang, Patrick MM Bossuyt, Christina M Vandenbroucke‐Grauls Online Publication Date: December 2015 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD007394.pub2 Review A full review, complete with results and discussion, possibly including meta-analyses to combine results across studies. Diagnostic A systematic review of studies assessing diagnostic test accuracy. Abstract PDF (1677K)


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While she took a certain degree of responsibility for her defeat, Clinton primarily blamed the publication of the emails on whistleblower site WikiLeaks in combination with FBI Director Jim Comey's announcement that he was reopening an investigation into her use of a private email server while holding public office.
Lahren was removed from The Blaze's airwaves after igniting controversy in right-leaning circles when she suggested conservatives are hypocrites for promoting principles of limited government but contending "government should decide what women do with their bodies".
In addition to FGL, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Nicki Minaj, Camila Cabello, Celine Dion, Drake, Imagine Dragons, John Legend and Lorde are also scheduled to take the stage throughout the awards ceremony. The 2017 Billboard Music Awards will be broadcast from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on May 21 . As if the star power wasn't enough, Billboard promises to announce more performers in the coming weeks.
Although the WGA said they didn't get everything they wanted , with nearly unanimous support from the writers, the Guild was able to achieve a deal that will net its members $130 million more over the life of the contract than they were expected to accept, the memo said.
Katy, who co-hosted this year's annual gala, also served as its live musical guest, following in the footsteps of popstar Rihanna , who performed at last year's Gala. The singer appeared to wear album promo on her face . Comme des Garcons focuses on asymmetry, imbalance and the form and structure of the garment, often relegating the wearer to the background.
Two of the students wounded in Monday's attack have been treated and released from hospitals while a third remains hospitalized, University of Texas President Greg Fenves said. "He grabbed this guy by the shoulder who was facing him and stabbed him in the back and so I turned around and started running away". As of Tuesday, one student is dead and three more were injured in the incident Monday afternoon.
After defeating Klitschko in front of 90,000 spectators and roars, Anthony Joshua requested the opportunity to fight against Tyson Fury next, who also beat Klitschko - on points in November 2015 - but has not fought since. "I love fighting. Tyson Fury, I know he's been talking, I want to give 90,000 a chance (to see us), I just want to fight". "Sometimes you can be a phenomenal boxer but this sport is about character".
It will be interesting to see if they can carry some of their momentum forward from their big win in Game 3. Quickly, the Raptors took the lead in the series in Game 1. The Raps were actually down 31 at the half in Cleveland in Game 5 a year ago, or four points better than they were here in Milwaukee . DeRozan didn't make a single shot in Game 3, a humbling 104-77 beatdown courtesy of the Milwaukee Bucks .
French voters go to the polls on Sunday to decide between the two. He says Le Pen's priorities as president would be "to fight against press freedom, "against women's rights, the right to abortion" and "against same-sex couples' rights". Referring to Mr Macron's period as a minister in President Hollande's government, she accused him of being a "candidate of continuity... littered with the corpses of jobs transferred off-shore, the ruins of bust businesses, and the gaping holes of deficit ...
There are no reported injuries. The remaining suspect holed up in a home in the Brick Mills Development, police said, which philly.com said was about 15 miles from the Wawa. The 32-year-old served on the force for almost nine years and was a Bowie, Md. native, according to his Facebook page. The head of the Delaware State Police, Col.
Counterpoint Research actually released their findings on smartphone shipments in India, or as they call it "India smartphone shipments market share", read on if you're interested. Nearly four out of five mobile phones shipped were made in India during Q1 2017. "The imposition of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) will have an impact on domestic manufacturing and the government will need to continue incentives for locally manufactured mobile phones to further push the domestic manufacturing ...
The nominees for best play were Pulitzer Prize victor "Sweat", "Oslo", " Indecent " and "A Doll's House, Part 2". Other contenders for best new musical include the heart-wrenching Dear Evan Hansen, the 9/11-based Come From Away , and Groundhog Day , adapted from the 1993 Bill Murray movie.
Shine's exit comes on the heels of the ouster of FNC primetime star Bill O'Reilly after a NYT report about the millions Fox News had paid out to women who had made harassment allegations about O'Reilly over more than a decade. At press time , Hannity had not commented on the news regarding Shine's resignation. The shakeup came on the same day that Fox is launching two new shows.
The Japanese designer is the second living fashion icon to be immortalised by the museum by the way of the theme, after Yves Saint Laurent in 1983. Selena Gomez slayed it in Coach while Katy Perry's daring look in Maison Margiela had Instagram going into a tizzy.
Fox News issued a few press releases on Monday. The news set industry wags talking about the future of Sean Hannity at the network, given reports he has suggested he'd walk if his former producer did not get company support. Many suggest that Shine's dismissal is another signal that the company is looking to start fresh following the controversial departures of O'Reilly and Ailes.
The singer announced she and her husband Wissam Al Mana have made a decision to separate and the issue is being dealt with by the courts. Janet Jackson is going on tour this fall. Janet Jackson performs after the Dubai World Cup at the Meydan Racecourse on March 26, 2016 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Jackson's Unbreakable World Tour has so far been postponed twice.
Thanks to the newly formed faction of Carmella, Tamina Snuka, Natalya and James Ellsworth, Charlotte has found a valid reason to get the fans back on her side. "However, a report by Cageside Seats seems to indicate that Y2J will do the favours for Kevin Owens instead", via Sportskeeda . Finally, there's the match between Dolph Ziggler vs.
Seacrest also had wonderful things to say about Ripa after the announcement. Seacrest has appeared on Live five times since Ripa's former co-host Michael Strahan left the show past year to co-host Good Morning America , also on ABC. The latter collectively reaches almost 35 million monthly, which is why a brand-new iHeartRadio studio has been readied for him at New York's ABC7, home of Live with Kelly and Ryan.
President Trump is expected to sign an executive order on religious liberty this Thursday-- which is the National Day of Prayer, senior White House sources confirmed Tuesday to Fox News. During his tenure as governor of Indiana, Pence introduced a similar piece of legislation called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Although it purports to strengthen religious freedom, what this order would actually do is misuse this freedom, turning it into a weapon to discriminate against broad swaths ...
Pelosi and Republicans are wrestling over a Democratic demand that the must-pass spending bill keep money flowing under the health care law that helps low-earners pay out-of-pocket medical costs. The House of Representatives has made a move to avert a government shutdown with only days before Congress' April 28 spending deadline. It's also had the backing of Vice President Mike Pence, Republicans say.
Jakob Silfverberg scored the tying goal with 9:13 to play in regulation for the Ducks, who lost in regulation for the first time in 19 games since March 10. Connor McDavid found another gear and scored a powerful goal to make it 3-3. At 8:40, in the Ducks zone, McDavid turned on a dime, opened up a shooting lane and fired a wrist shot just inside the post.
However, when you consider the number of shows that were either completely snubbed or shut out of the major categories, a very different picture emerges. Also ignored were two smashing turns: Allison Janney, in best revival nominee Six Degrees of Separation, and Kate Burton in the Kevin Kline-led and nominated revival of Noël Coward's Present Laughter .
Nonetheless, Miz Ripa was in no rush to find Michael's replacement as she had a slew of A-list guest cohosts for about a year - including Anderson Cooper , Andy Cohen, Jimmy Kimmel , Neil Patrick Harris, Dwyane Wade, and others. Visibly nervous, she went on, "Today my new co-host will be joining me on Live! ". Seacrest was named co-host of the morning chat show, ending a yearlong search for a marquee name as Michael Strahan's successor.
The QB himself does not actually have a job right now. The organization said that Kaepernick dropped off two large boxes of custom-made suits at a parole office in the borough of Queens. Here they are outside a parole office in Queens with Kevin Livingston , the chairman, CEO, and president of 100 Suits . "Through a variety of programs, we have been able to connect to and assist formerly incarcerated individuals, homeless individuals, gang members and survivors of domestic violence".
Royal fans were treated to a new portrait of the Princess on Monday, taken by her mother the Duchess of Cambridge , to mark Charlotte's second birthday on 2 May. And we are eager to discover the photo album souvenir of the small birthday party that should probably take place at the palace! She's just a bit behind big brother George, who will turn 4 at the end of July.
San Diego police officers work at a cordoned off La Jolla apartment after a shooting Sunday, April 30, 2017, in San Diego. In a tear-jerking tribute to Monique posted alongside a throwback photo of the pair when they were younger, he wrote on Instagram on Tuesday (02.05.17): "My heart hurts with great sadness tonight".
When Higgins got home that night, she got a phone call from her nephew. I can't talk to you right now. Medical Services Plan payments have been a hot election topic since the B.C. "I was also upset about those health-care workers who were fired, including a man who committed suicide". "It gives people a chance to connect with her one on one".
Shine stepped down on Monday amid accusations that he retaliated against Fox News employees who came forward with allegations of sexual harassment, some against former CEO Roger Ailes. Sherman followed up with a few more reported details, including how Fox News talent was "stunned" by the development. Shine joined Fox News in 1996 with Hannity's help and reportedly had a "decades-long friendship and working relationship" with him.
The photo, snapped by Kate Middleton herself, is a display of the royal family's signature refined and classic style. Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge weighed in at 8lbs 3oz and was delivered only two and a half hours after her mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, was admitted to St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London.
Sean has struggled with substance abuse in the past, as TMZ reports the 4-time WWE Tag Team Champion has been arrested on drug possession on multiple occasions. He wrote on Monday (01.05.17): "I've had a insane weekend". Waltman has a history of drug-related arrests, which is likely why he was flagged at the airport, according to TMZ Sports .
She was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for her star turn as Kim, a Vietnamese bar girl who falls in love with a departing American soldier in 1975, during the fall of Saigon to the Viet Cong. Bette Midler, who stars as the matchmaker in "Hello, Dolly!" will compete with " War Paint " stars Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole; Denee Benton, of "Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812" and Eva Noblezada of " Miss Saigon ".
The revival garnered 10 nominations overall, two fewer than " Natasha , Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812", which is based partially on Tolstoy's " War and Peace ". Big names appearing this season who were not nominated included Diane Lane, Mark Ruffalo and Allison Janney. He will compete for the best leading actor with Denis Arndt of " Heisenberg ", Chris Cooper from " A Doll's House, Part 2 ", Corey Hawkins in " Six Degrees of Separation " and Jefferson Mays from " Oslo ".
The Turnbull government will abolish 457 visas and replace them with a new scheme. Australia's government has cracked down on foreign worker visas and adopted an "Australians first" approach to skilled migration, scrapping the controversial 457 visa program and announcing a much stricter replacement.
When rumors first started swirling last week that Shine could be on his way out, Hannity took to Twitter to say Shine's departure would mark the "end of [Fox] as we know it". The exit of Bill Shine - a co-president at the network and a close ally of Roger E. Ailes , its former chairman - came almost 10 months after Mr. Ailes was removed in the wake of numerous harassment allegations.
While the assault was expected, what made the moment even worse was the crowd chanting "Thank you Strowman " and "You deserve it" while Reigns is bleeding profusely. Braun Strowman is a legitimate main-event wrestler. No matter who wins the match , the United States title will remain the property of SmackDown live .
Kevin Lord , EVP of human resources, will take on additional responsibilities as head of compliance at the network, reporting to Gerson Zweifach, chief corporate counsel of 21 Century Fox . While Hannity remains steadfast that his relationship with Fox News has not changed, other media outlets have reported otherwise. "Somebody HIGH UP AND INSIDE FNC is trying to get an innocent person fired", Hannity said.
Fans were anticipating when the Hugger would dethrone Charlotte, and when she did, it was a great moment. It was a clash of the WWE's best women Superstars, which named Alexa the victor after serving Bayley with a vicious DDT. Now normally Reigns is unbeatable when it comes to booking, and he remains the WWE's main man, but him losing here makes more sense. As reported by CBS Sports , WWE superstar Braun Strowman's father is actually a famous softball player from many years ago.
Tributes poured in from the world of Hindi cinema for the award-winning actor, who was lauded for his roles playing angry young men in the 1970s. Vinod Khanna , had been associated with BJP for past twenty years. He was joined by many industry veterans but especially Rishi Kapoor, who came back home more anguished than he had expected. The star's last film was 2015's Dilwale , ( The Big Hearted ).
Are you most excited for Indy V or Star Wars IX? Episode IX will be directed by Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow. One complicating factor for Lucasfilm is the next installment in the Indiana Jones franchise, which reunites director Steven Spielberg with star Harrison Ford .
His score 32 out of 40, enough to get him into the dance-off round. Nancy Kerrigan and Nick Viall were thus eliminated. They then lost a dance-off to the show's other Olympian, Simone Biles , and partner Sasha Farber, putting them in further danger of elimination .
Actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan on Tuesday unveiled the first look poster of his long-delayed bilingual film "Vishwaroopam 2". Vishwaroopam was involved in several controversies including an initial ban in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states and a demand for title change.
This would hit late-night talk shows, daytime soap operas and upcoming TV series and films. After the 2007-08 strike, the two sides reached agreements in 2010 and 2013, but TV writers in particular have seen their earnings slide since then and want to claw back some losses.
Diana was known for her love of novelty print sweaters, and in 1981, she wore a vibrant red pullover featuring black and white sheep, not unlike the blue ones on the collar of Charlotte's cardigan. Charlotte's first birthday was marked with the release of four official photographs by her parents. Last year, a photograph of Charlotte on the occasion of her first birthday sparked fierce demand for a cream cashmere cardigan made by a brand called Olivier Baby & Kids.
Because of this, Battlefront 2 has quite the variety of villains that it absolutely needs to feature. On the latest episode on the channel our host breaks down the structural differences between Star Wars : The Force Awakens and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
The Lemonade collector's edition costs $299.99 and is available for pre-order on Beyoncé's website . The How to Make Lemonade box set gives unprecedented insight into the making of multiple award-winning Lemonade, with a numbered, collector's edition coffee table book, double vinyl LP and audio and visual album downloads.
Lucasfilm are planning more Star Wars spin-off films, its president has announced. Disney gave no details on " Star Wars: Episode IX", about which little is known except that it will be directed by Colin Trevorrow. However, it does appear as if Disney and Lucasfilm are digging in their heels with this film, and will attempt to try their luck with a summer release schedule.
Conley doesn't have much experience playing in the slot, so Del Rio said they'll have to determine if he's capable of playing there. His time of 4.4 in the 40-yard dash was among the top 10 at the combine. He and the hard-hitting Joseph have disparate strengths. Unless the 49ers have specific plans for him that they haven't revealed, this pick leaves a bit to be desired even with the 49ers moving to a 4-3 defensive scheme.
Kylie Jenner caught a cuddly moment between the two, and that pic showed up on Kim Kardashian's Snapchat before the evening was over. Exquisite feather details adorned the train of Blake Lively's gold-chain dress while she kept her make-up minimal.
Russia condemns the use of chemical weapons by anyone and wants a full and impartial investigation into last month's poison gas attack on the Syrian city of Khan Sheikhoun, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday. The German leader last visited Russian Federation in May 2015 when she met Putin in Moscow but, like most Western leaders, snubbed a Red Square parade for the 70th anniversary of World War II victory.
Submit your Newswire tips here. After the first commercial break it was revealed that Ryan Seacrest would be Ripa's new co-host on the newly titled Live With Kelly and Ryan. "Nice to see you, partner", Seacrest said as he walked onto the NY set of the show made famous by Regis Philbin . But while many are confused with their very different personalities and how they'll mesh on air, we're all excited to see what kind of show this becomes.


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KINSHASA, Congo – The opposition coalition in Congo has announced that the son of late opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi will become the group's president.
The coalition late Thursday named Felix Tshisekedi its head.
Etienne Tshisekedi's death in early February came a month after President Joseph Kabila's party and the opposition signed an agreement that called for new elections later this year in which Kabila will not run.
The 84-year-old Tshisekedi had founded his opposition party in 1982 and was heavily involved in forming the coalition and pursuing negotiations over the elections.
People recently took to the streets in Congo amid concerns over what his death would mean for the agreement. Kabila stayed in power beyond the end of his mandate in because of delayed elections that were meant to be held in November.


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Whether your passion is entrepreneurship, filmmaking, or science and engineering, Loyola Marymount's nationally recognized academic programs, doting professors, and top-notch internships aid students in achieving illustrious post-graduate outcomes. Check out a few of our student success stories.
Recent Rankings:
8th for Students Most Engaged in Community Service — Princeton Review, 2018
17th among Most Beautiful Campuses — Princeton Review, 2018
18th among Best Science Lab Facilities — Princeton Review, 2018
Top 10 percent nationally — Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education, 2017
3rd among regional universities in the West — U.S. News & World Report, 2018
Top producer of U.S. Fulbright students — Chronicle of Higher Education, 2017
#13 nationally for Undergraduate Entrepreneurship — U.S. News & World Report, 2018
19th (tie) for Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs in the Nation — U.S. News & World Report, 2018
Top 15 percent of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Humanities Programs — College Factual, 2017
Film program is 8th among the "Top 25 American Film Schools" — The Hollywood Reporter, 2018
Top 5 Theatre program in America — College Factual, 2017
For a complete list of LMU rankings, please check out the university's Facts & Figures.


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TRUMP: Mitt Wanted My Endorsement So Badly – I Could Have Told Him to Drop to His Knees (VIDEO)
Donald Trump responded to Mitt Romney's unprecedented attack on his campaign.
Donald Trump held another sold-out rally in Portland, Maine.
Donald Trump speaks w/ supporters in Portland, Maine. AKA the #TrumpTrain🚂🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸#MakeAmericaGreatAgain #Trump2016 pic.twitter.com/vM86xI9PE5
— Dan Scavino (@DanScavino) March 3, 2016
Mitt delivered a blistering 30 minute speech condemning the GOP front-runner.
This afternoon Trump responded.
Mitt is a failed candidate. He failed. He failed horribly. He was begging for my endorsement. I could have said Mitt drop to your knees. He would have dropped to his knees.
Trump was holding a rally in Portland, Maine before tonight's FOX News debate in Detroit.
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Stags and silhouettes
I was sat at home on Saturday not feeling 100% and looked at the weather forecast for Sunday, a clear cold night with a sunny day was forecast over London, these are the conditions I was hoping for last year when I went to photograph Red deer at Richmond park but unfortunately it never quite worked out like that.
I spoke to Rob Cross and we decided to make the trip in the early hours and see if we could get some silhouette shots of the deer at the sunrise. Rob spoke to Neil Neville and as he was also going the following day with a friend of his Dean Mason, we arranged to meet at his Buckinghamshire home and travel in together.
At 6.45am we were in the car park of Richmond Park and were introduced to Dean, there was a thick mist and a frost on the ground, perfect conditions for what we were after. Within a few minutes we could see our first stag protecting his Hinds from any other males that may have felt brave enough to take over his harem. The sun was not quite up and focusing through the thick mist had to be done manually as we took our first shots of the day. We could see a faint orange glow on the horizon as the sun was rising and it would only be a matter of minutes before we could shoot towards the sun and get the Stag in silhouette, the light was almost perfect and the ISO was dropping quickly as I focused on the animal in front of us. Suddenly he was bellowing and started to move towards another stag which he felt threatened by. At this stage we could not see the the other stag but could clearly hear him, soon our Stag was out of sight as it disappeared deeper into the thick mist to chase off this intruder, we waited for his return but once his hinds started to follow him we quickly realised this was not going to be the opportunity we had hoped for.
We listened out for more vocal stags and could see the silhouettes of a few other photographers in the distance so we rapidly made our way towards them hoping that they had one in view. As we got nearer we could see our quarry so we quickly got into a position where we could get the stag clear of the trees that were in the background and use the orangey glow from the rapidly rising sun together with the mist to our advantage. This glorious light did not last too long but long enough for us all to manage some nice shots.
Another really enjoyable day in the company of three great photographers and friends, we even saw a bit of rutting which was a first for me which rounded the day off nicely.
Ian White(non-registered)
Sounds like a superb morning Steve........if you fancy stopping off briefly on the way next time, give me a shout ;-D
No comments posted.
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Thu, 20 February 2014
Third Annual Feburtuary celebrations kick off with the non-steamy, non-erotic erotic thriller Tempted, a rather uninspired, Cajun-spiced reversal of Indecent Proposal with Burt Reynolds as the leathery millionaire who hires the main twinkly vampire guy from Twilight (not R-Patz, the other one) to seduce his wife (Saffron Burrows, of Wing Commander fame). Anti-plot-summary activist Malcolm Fraser joins me for the first and hopefully not only Feburtuary party of 2014.
You can purchase Malcolm's book Wooden Stars: Innocent Gears at Invisible Publishing. Malcolm and I will be co-guest-hosting Know It All trivia at Le Cagibi (5490 St-Laurent) next Wednesday at 8 PM (sign up at 7:30!).
Music this week provided by Doppelbanger. You can find them here.
Direct download: Why_Does_It_Exist_-_061_-_Tempted.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:55pm EDT
Thu, 23 January 2014
We're back: a dinosaur story! After a much-needed (ed. note: nope) four-month break, Why Does It Exist makes its triumphant return with Terminal Countdown AKA Y2K, a very timely Y2K panic thriller starring the guy from Unforgiven (the very 90s-named Jaimz Woolvett) as a bowlcut-sporting hacker who teams up with geriatric marine Lou Gossett Jr. and Russian-accented Sarah Chalke to prevent the USA from exploding Russia. I'm joined by returning guest Walter J. Lyng for a trip down memory lane to a more innocent time when laptops that could access porn were mind-blowing and the lush green forests of British Columbia looked just like the Amazon.
Catch Walter's monthly talk show Night Fight this Friday, January 24th at Mainline Theatre (3997 Saint-Laurent) in Montreal!
Direct download: Why_Does_It_Exist_-_060_-_Terminal_Countdown.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:31pm EDT
Wed, 18 September 2013
Director Philippe Martinez made a pretty OK Jean-Claude van Damme movie and an awful movie where Val Kilmer locks people in a sauna, so he'd already be a shoo-in to appear on Why Does It Exist? if his very first movie wasn't a mindbogglingly terrible semi-satire starring Jerry Springer and Armand Assante. Citizen Verdict is a dizzying, bone-headed exposé of reality television that's kind of halfway between The Running Man and being so high that everyone in Florida suddenly sprouts garbled South African accents. I'm joined by Floridian Skyler Bing AKA Skyluur Bing AKA Jacques Lutin as we dull our senses with a nonstop barrage of yelling and yellow filters.
Direct download: Why_Does_It_Exist_-_059_-_Citizen_Verdict.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:40am EDT
Thu, 5 September 2013
The Pacific Connection is the classic tale of a man who has two sticks and an overwhelming desire to whip bad guys in the nards with them. This weirdly enthusiastic Filipino martial-arts movie is a veritable who's-who of actors who'd do anything for a paycheck (and by that I mean mostly Dean Stockwell) furiously furrowing their brow while a shirtless guy attempts to whack them senseless. It's almost bad enough to be fun, but also filled with repetitive and mindless fight scenes and a weird blind hippie who stumbles around giving people healing herbs (OK, that last part is pretty cool). Despite being obscure enough that I had to whip out the VCR to watch my copy, it's actually available in full on YouTube - I'm almost certain that whoever holds the rights to this won't mind or notice.
Direct download: Why_Does_It_Exist_-_058_-_The_Pacific_Connection.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:34pm EDT
Wed, 21 August 2013
Low-budget LA-set crime movies starring also-rans and never-weres are pretty much the death and taxes of Why Does It Exist? They're plentiful (if not downright plague-like), dependable and almost always exactly as bad and soul-sucking as they look. This week's culprit is Venice Underground, a kind of Melrose-Place-meets-Miami-Vice turdburger that sees five hotshot young recruits attempt to dismantle a convoluted and poorly-sketched drug empire in Venice Beach. There's a mole, a hardass captain, Danny Trejo as a guy named Uncle Papi, a particularly haggard stripclub scene and various disorenting shootouts. The usual, basically.
Joining me this week is Cult MTL screen editor (AKA boss lady and Alex puppeteer) and comics artist Kayla Marie Hillier. You can read some her musings here, her Cult MTL material here and see her Twitter here.
The song this week is provided by The Hydrothermal Vents. The song Inside a Movie can be found here. Keep your eyes peeled for their appearance at the POP Montreal festival as well as their upcoming full-length due out later this year.
Direct download: Why_Does_It_Exist_-_057_-_Venice_Underground.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:28pm EDT
Sun, 7 July 2013
The summer is humid and gross in Montreal, causing hundreds of thousands of people to stop everything they're doing in order to drink beer all the time. It's under the influence of this disgusting, thick, sopping humidity that we soldier on, sweating profusely and hydrating irresponsibly. I'm joined by past guest David Bertrand (formerly of Blue Sunshine Psychotronic Film Centre) for a viewing of famed animator Ralph Bakshi's only 100% live-action film, The Cool and the Crazy.
A stilted remake of a forgotton drive-in movie, The Cool and the Crazy was part of a film series called Rebel Highway that updated 50's teen films for cable, using the talents of contemporary directors and up-and-coming casts. The Cool and the Crazy is one of the more bizarre efforts due to its unconventional talent (it remains Bakshi's last film to this day) but is unfortunately a giant load of garbage.
Music this week by The Hot Showers. You can find the song 'House of Games' on the Bobby Burns
Direct download: Why_Does_It_Exist_-_056_-_The_Cool_and_the_Crazy.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:34pm EDT
Sun, 16 June 2013
Demolition University is the sneakiest kind of Why Does It Exist? movie: a covert sequel to a movie that would itself qualify for the show, wrapped in enigmatic, shape-shifting poster art that never quite gives an accurate picture of what lies beneath. Yet another half-assed would-be franchise starring a Corey, Demolition University is not about demolition or university, but rather about plucky football player slash dork Corey Haim as he foils an attempted terrorist attempt on a water plant. Laraine Newman is the harried teacher caught in the middle of it all while Robert Forster (not yet benefitting from the push of a Jackie Brown, it seems) surveys the situation world-wearily.
Past guest Arnaud Audette joins me for a viewing of a movie with a truly transcendent approach to cover art.
Music this week provided by Alligator Baby. The song Calling Confidence can be found on their new album, The Cool Side of the Pillow. They will be launching the album on July 6th at O Patro Vys in Montreal – check out their Bandcamp page for more Canadian tour dates.
Direct download: Why_Does_It_Exist_-_055_-_Demolition_University.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:12pm EDT
Wed, 5 June 2013
We love unnecessary sequels here at Why Does It Exist?, and we particularly love sequels to movie we have not seen nor have any intention of seeing. Yet when my guest Lucy KiMusic parissis chose Like Mike 2 from the pile, I must admit I was a little surprised. Even in the realm of straight-to-DVD sequels to movies that no one understands, it's the underdog. It's also, from what I can gather, exactly the same as the first movie, except it centers on the murky concept of a kid getting magic shoes and playing STREETBALL as opposed to basketball.
Joining me this week is the aforementioned Lucy Kiparissis – you can hear her read out community announcements on CJLO 1690 every two hours, but she told me not to plug that.
Music this week by leamers. The track 'Don't Look Down' off their MAGIC, YO EP can be found here. You can also catch them perform as part of Fringe on June 8th.
Direct download: Why_Does_It_Exist_-_054_-_Like_Mike_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:08pm EDT
Thu, 16 May 2013
It sounds like it could be the perfect Why Does It Exist movie: an unholy convergence of dated post-Tarantino hipdom, a washed-up cast at various levels of career trauma and the strained comedy of a first-time open mic-er. Despite being about the bloody battle for a priceless Native American artifact waged between Elvis impersonators, crooked cops, unscrupulous casino owners and Christian Slater, Guns, Girls and Gambling is the perfect example of Why Does It Exist? flying too close to the sun. It is painful despite the presence of Gary Oldman as Elvis, whose presence is offset by Chris Kattan as a gay Elvis impersonator and Dane Cook as a cop who chews a lot of gum.
Shawn van de Peppel joins me as we sink deep into the convoluted waters of Guns, Girls and Gambling. Listen to the end for an exclusive announcement of something that may or may not happen.
Music this week by Trade Secrets. The song 'Nocturnal' off their EP No Relation can be found here.
Direct download: Why_Does_It_Exist_-_053_-_Girls_Guns_and_Gambling.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:21am EDT
Tue, 30 April 2013
In 1973, a little movie called The Sting made a lot of Hollywood fat cats a lot of money. As with most runaway successes, it gave the fat cats a great idea: replicate that movie's success by giving the people more of what they had purported to like. Putting silly bowler hats and frilly dresses on the biggest stars of the time and have them cavort n big, expensive sets to jaunty piano music became a disturbing trend at the time and audiences stayed away in droves.
Possibly the most expensive and laborious of those failures is Harry and Walter Go To New York, two hours of family-friendly, old-timey entertainment that nearly sank the studio that made it even though they're reportedly the ones that cut the jokes out of it. Regardless of who wins the blame game, Harry and Walter Go to New York is the extremely unfunny story of how two mediocre vaudeville performers (played by the notoriously rubber-limbed physical comedians Elliott Gould and James Caan) attempt to beat the world's most prodigious bank robber (Michael Caine) at his own game with the help of a plucky dame (Diane Keaton). It's sort of like Lucky Lady without all of the mismatched orgy sequences and the half-hour boat chase.
The result is tedious as all hell, so I am joined with Why Does It Exist?'s crown prince of tedious pedantry, Mickey O'Narey (formerly of Mickey's Corrections). You can catch Mickey and his band, the Hot Showers, as they launch their latest EP at L'Esco on June 15th.
Music this week is provided by Bodyshakes. The song 'Buoyfriend' can be found on the RRRAAH EP, available for an amount of your choosing here. You can also see them perform at Gerts Bar in Montreal on May 4th.
Direct download: Why_Does_It_Exist_-_052_-_Harry_and_Walter_Go_To_New_York.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:48pm EDT